Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
“Do you see any sense whatsoever in mating ceremonies?”
“None at all.”
“But you went through with ours. Why?” He already knew the answer.
A small shrug. “Because I thought it was important to you.”
“It was very important to me. For you, parties and being the center of attention is a nightmare. But you did it for me.” If she understood why, he wasn’t sure. Marcus kissed the back of her shoulder. “I’ve never submitted to anything or anyone in my life. But I did it for you.” He hadn’t done it quietly or easily, but he’d done it. Because it was Roni. There wasn’t anything—big or small—that he wouldn’t do for her.
“I love you, Roni. I know you’ll find it hard to believe, because you have this stupid idea that there isn’t anything about you worth loving, that you’re nothing but annoying and awkward. You don’t see what you mean to the people who really know you. You don’t see what you mean to me. So I’m telling you. Because to hold the words in . . . it’s just stupid and unfair.”
He pressed a long kiss between her shoulder blades before continuing. “I don’t think I’ll ever be someone who’s upfront about what I’m really feeling. But I don’t want to be that way with you. I don’t want you to ever wonder how much you matter to me. That place where you wonder if someone who you love loves you back . . . it’s not a nice place to be. It would be selfish and gutless to let the feelings that run up and down the mating link do all the talking for me.” He rested his forehead on her back. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
There was a pause before she spoke. “Did you know that—”
“Roni.”
“Okay, okay. It’s just . . . I’m not good with feelings.” Maybe it was because she overthought things. Or maybe it was because she was more practical than emotional. “But I do know that I love you. No other reason would have made me go through with that nightmare.” His chuckle made her smile. “Sorry if you were hoping for some soppy words. I’m not expressive. At least not with words, anyway.” Fists, claws, teeth, and shears—that was how Roni got her emotions across.
Gently turning her onto her back, Marcus kissed her hard. “Thank you for telling me.”
“You were right. It’s senseless and unfair to hold back. Just . . . don’t be offended if I don’t say it a lot.”
“I’m not expecting you to change. I’d just like you to give me the words from time to time.”
“I can do that.” What she couldn’t do was work out what it would take for the mating bond to fully form. Considering Marcus’s twisted experiences with loving relationships and Roni’s difficulty in recognizing loving emotions, she would have thought coming to the realization of how they felt for each other—particularly since they had openly admitted it—would be enough. But no. And she didn’t understand why.
Marcus kissed her again, taking his time exploring her mouth. She squirmed and then winced. “Sore?”
“A little.” She frowned at him. “You’re more smug than concerned.”
“I kind of like the idea that every time you move today, you’ll remember how it felt when I took your ass.” She just sniffed. Noticing a piece of rope still hanging from the headboard, he gave her a faint smile. “I have a question. Why didn’t you just yell at me?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Arguing is a waste of time and energy.”
“We’ll never really have super big arguments, will we,” he then understood. Neither of them liked rowing or drama, and they both preferred action to words. Besides, Roni rarely allowed herself to get angry enough to engage in conflict. But when she was angry, she would never let him get away with any stunt he pulled. She would never take his shit. No. His vengeful little wolf would always dish it back, but in her own special way. Like tying him up and sexually torturing him, for instance.
“I doubt it.” Hearing his stomach grumble, she rolled her eyes.
“Hey, I’m a growing boy.”
“Fine. Let’s go eat. I’d like to see my brothers anyway.”
“What are you going to do?” He couldn’t help smirking. Roni’s brand of vengeance was always entertaining.
“Oh, I’ve already had my revenge, silly.” She’d taken care of that while Marcus had been in dreamland. “I just want to see the damage for myself.”
“What did you do?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Oh, his mate was cold.
Marcus smiled at the human sitting beside Shaya on the porch swing. “Hey, Stone.” Though Shaya’s father was tall and burly, he reminded Marcus a lot of Jack Nicholson—a slow-dawning Cheshire Cat smile, a gravelly drawl, and an easy, confident posture. A person only had to take one look at Stone Critchley’s neat, smart appearance to know that he valued precision and control.